Behind the Shroud
by PenPatronus
Summary: Jack O'Neill and Daniel Jackson have a heart-to-heart after the events of "The Shroud," season ten. Friendship, angst, drama.


**Summary: **Jack O'Neill and Daniel Jackson have a heart-to-heart after the events of "The Shroud," season ten. Friendship, angst, drama.

**Behind the Shroud  
**PenPatronus

The Ori ships lunged into hyperspace and disappeared. On the bridge of the _Odyssey_, four people looked expectantly at General Jack O'Neill. "What?" he demanded.

"What do you want us to do, Sir?" Sam asked. "Should we go after them?"

Jack saw the determination in Sam's face, and also the fatigue. If he asked his people to pursue those ships, none of them would hesitate. But they'd all had enough excitement for one day. If Merlin's weapon really did destroy the Ascended Ori, it was time for celebration. Time for cake.

"Colonel Mitchell?"

Cam straightened. "Sir?"

"Take us home, please. And make it a smooth ride."

"Yes, Sir." Cam dropped into the pilot's chair and took over the controls.

"Carter, keep an eye out for more Ori ships."

Sam sat at the terminal on Cam's left, on the other side of the command chair. After a quick browse she reported, "Nothing on sensors, Sir."

"Swell. Teal'c..." Jack turned in place, looking for something constructive for the Jaffa to do. Finally he patted the arm of the empty command chair. "Here, pal. Have a seat and relax."

"What about me?" Vala asked.

Jack studied her for a long moment. "You do, uh, whatever it is you do."

"Look pretty?" she offered.

Jack shrugged. "Whatever. And Daniel..." Jack turned to Daniel Jackson, who stood staring out the window with his back to them all. "Daniel, I want you back in the infirmary," Jack ordered.

Daniel glanced up with a surprised look, as if he'd forgotten there were other people in the room with him. "I'm fine," he said softly. Then he cleared his throat and declared louder, "I'm fine."

Sam looked up from her computer. "Daniel, your body has been through a lot. You should probably be in bed until the medical personnel check you out."

Teal'c lounged in the command chair. "Indeed," he said.

Daniel opened his mouth to speak, but Cam interrupted him. "Don't argue, Jackson. An hour ago you were a Prior with a wizard in your head."

"I said I feel fine!" Daniel's cheeks flushed an angry red, then suddenly went as pale as they'd been when he was a Prior. He reached for Sam's terminal to brace himself but his hand slipped across it and he would've landed on the floor if Jack hadn't caught him.

"See?" Daniel muttered. "Just fine…"

"Come on," O'Neill said, surprising everyone (including himself) with the gentleness in his voice. He gripped Daniel by the elbow and guided him off the bridge. Half-way down the corridor, Daniel stumbled and Jack had to take most of his weight by wrapping one arm around Daniel's waist and pulling his arm around his shoulders. "Can you make it?"

Daniel nodded. His eyes were half-closed. "Jack, I'm sorry I kidnapped you."

Jack gritted his teeth in his effort to keep Daniel on his feet. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you."

"You did in the end." Daniel's temple bounced off Jack's shoulder and he took a deep breath as another wave of dizziness threatened to trip him. "Why did you?"

Jack would have shrugged if he wasn't carrying his friend. "I don't know. If anyone under my command made a move like that I would demote him instantly." Jack sighed. The front pocket of his uniform fluttered from his breath. "It's not really that I trusted you, it's...it's that I didn't want to lose you. Again."

Daniel surrendered and let his eyes fall shut. His forehead landed on Jack's shoulder and he muttered into the fabric, "How long was I missing? I sort of lost track of time."

Jack kicked open the door to the infirmary. "Before they saw you on the planet you were gone, oh, about seventeen days, nine hours and forty-eight minutes, give or take a second or two." Jack cleared his throat and didn't meet Daniel's now open and questioning eyes. "Not that I was keeping track or anything."

"Obviously."

Jack dragged Daniel to the nearest bed and helped him lay down on it. Once the younger man was settled in with pillows and blankets, Jack leaned over him and asked, "What do you need?"

"Water." Daniel licked his lips. "And waffles."

Jack cocked an eyebrow. "Waffles?" He found a paper cup by the infirmary's sink. He let the water run for a minute until it was cold, then filled the cup and handed it to Daniel.

"With blueberry syrup. I've been craving them for days." Daniel sipped at the water, rested, then drank the rest in one. Jack refilled the cup then sat on the edge of Daniel's bed with it in his lap.

After a moment, Daniel suddenly frowned and asked, "Did Sam and them tell you what Merlin said right after he woke up from stasis?"

"Probably. Which part?"

"He called Sam Guinevere. He thought Mitchell was Percival, I was Galahad and Baal was Mordred."

"Mordred was the bad guy, right?" Jack rolled the cup of water between his palms.

Daniel squinted, but not just because he didn't have his glasses. "You look like someone too, Jack."

"The Court Jester?"

"Jack, you look like King Arthur. You could be his brother."

Jack snorted and rolled his eyes. "Mitchell pulls swords out of stones, not me."

"Galahad wasn't also Merlin. I know it's odd but, I've been thinking… The O'Neills used to be a royal family in Ireland."

"Two L's?"

"Two L's. Maybe it's all just coincidence but Merlin didn't think so."

"Yeah, well, he's dead so…"

"At least I didn't die this time," Daniel chuckled. "For once…"

"Yeah." Jack looked down at the cup in his lap and stared.

"Jack?" Daniel said after a minute. "Are you sure you shouldn't be the one in bed?"

O'Neill raised both eyebrows. "Huh?"

"Your hands are shaking."

Jack looked down at the cup of water vibrating between his fingers. Liquid sloshed over the rim and darkened his pants. Jack put the cup on the bedside table, stuffed his hands in his pockets and gave Daniel a No-Big-Deal shrug.

"No," Daniel said in response to the unspoken explanation, "you're not fine, either. You're upset."

"Daniel, you almost died! Why shouldn't I be upset?" Jack swallowed visibly. "Let's talk about this after we get home."

"It's not only that. Talk now."

Jack cocked an eyebrow. "When did you get so bossy?"

"I had to pick up the slack after you left the SGC. What's bothering you, Jack?"

Jack sighed. "Earlier when Teal'c asked if you were, you know... you... you sounded disappointed to be... you."

"Disappointed..." Daniel thought for a minute, and Jack waited patiently. "Yeah, I guess I am."

Jack frowned. When Daniel didn't elaborate he beckoned, "Pray-tell?"

"Because when I was Merlin I could…do more."

Jack nodded. "You liked having superpowers. I get that."

"I liked making a difference," Daniel clarified. "As Merlin, I mattered."

Jack leaned his elbows on top of his knees and looked sideways at Daniel. "This is a self-esteem thing? You think you don't matter unless you're Merlin or Ascended or something?"

Daniel slouched back into his pillows and stared blankly at the ceiling.

"You're such an idiot," Jack spat.

"Wow. That makes me feel better."

"Daniel, look!" Jack put the cup down and held his hand up to Daniel's face. It flapped like a flag in the wind. "I don't get this upset over people who don't matter! You don't need any of that—Merlin or Oma or Adria—you don't need anyone or anything because you, my friend, are incredible just the way you are." Jack leaned in close, forcing Daniel to meet his eyes. "You do make a difference, Daniel. You do more in a day than most people do in a lifetime."

"With your help," Daniel whispered. "Because of you, Jack."

Jack swallowed. "You know how much I care about you, right? I mean, I know I'm not really good at saying those kinds of things but...I do. I really do."

"I love you, too," Daniel said.

Jack pointed a forefinger at Daniel's nose. "I didn't mean..." Daniel blinked at him. Jack sighed. "Ok, ok. That's exactly what I mean."

Daniel smiled mischievously. "Say it."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "Don't push your luck, Daniel." He patted the younger man affectionately on the cheek.

"Hey, by the way, how did I end up in scrubs?" Daniel asked.

"Oh, Vala volunteered to change you into more comfortable clothes while you were unconscious. Come to think of it, it took her awhile to do it. Like forty-five minutes."

Daniel's eyes widened to the size of a saucer. "_What_?"

Jack grinned. "Relax. Teal'c and I took care of it. Boy, you should see your face!"

"So not funny." Daniel shook his head back and forth, back and forth. "So not funny."

Jack stood up from the bed. "Get some rest, ok? I'll let you know when we're home."

Daniel straightened in alarm. "You're staying here, right? I mean, they don't really need you on the bridge..."

Jack rolled a stool over to the bed and sat down in it. He gestured to himself as if to say "I'm right here, aren't I?" Daniel smiled. He shut his eyes and fell asleep within minutes.

**The End**

**Author's Note: **I thought about making this a prequel to an epic Jack-is-King-Arthur story, but I doubt I'll get around to that anytime soon. Hope you enjoyed it! ~PP~


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